COLUMBUS, Ind. - Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) and Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) joined with the Arbor Day and Columbus [Indiana] Parks and Recreation to plant trees at two local Columbus parks. More than 100 volunteers, comprised of Toyota associates, Columbus Parks and Recreation and representatives from the Arbor Day Foundation, worked to plant 100 trees divided between two of the city's popular parks.
The TMHU-sponsored event included the planting of indigenous trees including: Scarlett Oak, Sugar Maple and other varieties like Zelkova at Noblitt Park and Lincoln Park as a part of the "greening" effort for these highly visited recreational spots.
"As a partner and business member of the community, we are delighted that our friends and associates have teamed up to enhance Columbus' parks" said Shankar Basu, president and CEO of TMHU and a director of TIEM. "Toyota's efforts to not only build the earth's most environmentally friendly lift trucks here in Columbus, but also to support the parks and landscape in the communities whereour associates work, live and play, embodies our company's environmental charter."
This effort is the latest in TIEM's and TMHU's partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. Since 2006, 20,000 trees have been planted in national forests that have been damaged by wildfires, insects and disease. In 2008, the company increased its commitment to the Arbor Day Foundation and will plant a tree for every lift truck sold this year, which is estimated to result in an additional 30,000 trees being planted in early 2009.
